Home Again
by Beautiful Secrets
Summary: Afni sacrificed her chance to get home to save the others. When Everworld starts to collapse, will Afni go home again? And will it be different than she remembers?
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter I**_

Afni stared up at the sky, and sighed, sadly.

"God…I miss you, so much, Christopher. I wish I was over there, in our world, with you, now…" She lowered her eyes, and looked at the Gateway they'd gone thru. Cars zoomed by, but one pulled off the road, and the driver climbed out, walking around, and sitting down, looking over at her. Though he could not see her, he smiled in her direction, and she smiled back. After standing for a moment, he moved up right near the Gateway. He placed his hand up, not caring if people thought he was crazy, and took a breath. She jumped up, and ran over, touching the Gateway.

"Afni? I don't know if your there, I don't know if you're even alive anymore…But I miss you a lot. I really wish you hadn't given up your one chance, though I understand why you did…Your brother is very happy to know your alright, even if I can't tell him where you are…I love you…" Christopher said, partially softly.

"I love you too…" Her voice was strong, and it surprised her, because she had begun to cry. They stood there, staring into the Gateway, for a few minutes, before he stepped away.

"I love you…" he repeated, and turned, shaking his head, and took off.

Christopher sat on his couch, staring at the television, and, finding nothing good, he threw the remote onto the chair across the room, and stood up.

"Christopher!"

"What, mom?" he called, turning his head.

"Would you take out the garbage?" she called. Groaning, he nodded, and moved into the kitchen, grabbing the tied of bag on the floor by the door.

"Sure…" Turning, he walked down the hall, and tossed open the front door, walking out. He headed to the garbage can, and dropped it in, closing the lid. Lifting his eyes, he saw a girl walking down the sidewalk, wearing a short, short black skirt, and a tight red shirt that stopped beneath her breasts, leaving little to nothing to the imagination. She crossed the street, and placed her hands on his.

"Can you help me?" she asked, flipping her long, blonde hair over her shoulder. He shrugged.

"Maybe…what is it?"

"I'm looking for a guy named Christopher Hitchcock…He's probably about your age…"

"Yeah, I'm Christopher…" She smiled. "What do you need?"

"I'm Candy… a couple of your friends asked me to come by, see if I could cheer you up…" She swung her hips around, moving the skirt up further, but he didn't look. He just shook his head.

"Nah…I'm fine."

"Christopher, I'm going to work now! I'll see you later, honey!" He waved, and his mother climbed in the car, taking off. As soon as she'd turned the corner, Candy moved her hands over Christopher's hips, pulling him close to her, taking his hands and placing them on her stomach, sliding them up.

"I can see your not fine, Christopher…" He pushed her away, and turned.

"I'm fine. Go back to them, tell them I don't need cheering up right now…Besides, no bimbo they send over will help."

"Hey!" He slammed the front door, locking it, and headed up the steps, shaking his head.

Afni stood, shaking her head, and walked away from the Gateway, changing from the blue jeans and white shirt she wore into an ankle-length skirt and long sleeved, somewhat small shirt. Sighing, she rubbed her eyes, and walked down the path into the forest, and out into the open. The sun began to set, and she just stood, taking in the beautiful image that she once held very dear.

Now more than anything, she missed her sister. She missed David. She missed everyone, even April. She felt tears in her eyes, and then felt them slide down her cheeks, landing on her shirt. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, and dropped to her knees, holding her head, crying.

She cried for a few minutes, before sniffling, and regaining herself. She stood, shaking away her sadness, but began to murmur the words to a song she wasn't sure she remembered.

"And you bring me to my knees again. All the times when I could beg you, please me. All the times when I felt insecure for you…And I leave all burdens at the door. And I'm on the outside, I'm looking in. I can see thru you, see your true colors. Cause inside your ugly. Your ugly like me. I can see thru you, see to the real you…" She stopped, because the pain she was feeling inside was now too much. She just stood, her hands against her stomach, and looked up. It was raining now. She faintly smiled, closing her eyes, letting it fall down, soak into her hair, her skin, her clothes.

Christopher pulled open the front door, to run out and grab the mail, and saw the sky turning gray quickly, and as he was jogging back up to the front door, it began to rain. He sighed, shaking his head, splashing the water onto the walls, and dropped the mail onto the table, closing the door. Someone knocked, and he turned, pulling it open again. A boy stood there, with barely there black hair.

"Yo, Christopher. You feelin' okay?"

"Uh, yeah, Jack…why?"

"You turned Candy down," he said, jerking his thumb behind him. Christopher saw her standing on the porch, arms crossed over her chest.

"Yeah. Because I don't want her…"

"So? That don't mean you gotta call her a bimbo, ya Jackass…" Christopher sighed.

"I don't wanna fight, man. I just wanna go in and lay down. I'm tired…" Jack reached in, grabbing Christopher by the collar of his shirt, and threw him off the porch. "Shit!" he exclaimed, hitting the ground.

"I don't care if yer tired, Christopher. You started the fight by calling my sister a name…" Christopher stood up, but Jack slammed his fist into his cheek, knocking him back down. Jack hit him, many times, in the face, but finally pulled away, and spit on him. "Maybe now you'll learn…c'mon, Candy…" Candy jogged down after him, and Jack put an arm around her, walking away. Christopher laid there for a few minutes, letting the rain wash the blood and spit away, and then stood, walking inside, holding a hand to his eye.

"Damnit…" he grumbled, and rummaged thru the freezer. His little brother ran in, and pointed.

"You got your ass kicked, you got your ass kicked." Christopher turned, and glared at his brother. "Hahahahahaha!" he cried, laughing. Christopher growled, and, leaving the freezer door open, ran after his brother.

"Get the hell outta here, you little brat!" he called. His brother ran up the steps, laughing, and slammed his door closed. Rolling his eyes, Christopher went back into the kitchen, and reached into the freezer, snatching up a steak, and, slamming that door, walked to his room, locking the door. He laid back on his bed, resting the steak on his eye.

Afni looked around, slightly confused. The sun was still shining, though she thought it had set. The rain poured down on her shoulders, but she didn't wanna get an umbrella. She liked it. But…now it worried her. The rain was falling, the sun was shining, and the moon was out. She didn't understand.

She cried out, and looked around. The ground was shaking, the trees whipping about in the wind. Afni spun around, looking for something that might explain it, but came up with nothing. She began to get extremely nervous, and started to run, but a rock, that was lodged in one of the trees, came loose, and slammed into the back of her head. She stumbled, and fell into the Gateway she'd thought she'd walked away from. Groaning, she rolled onto her side, pushing her hand into the Gateway. Another rock hit her, and her eyes rolled up into her head, and she completely hit the ground, unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter II**_

Afni opened her eyes, and cried out, surprised. She scrambled backwards, and found herself staring, unbelievingly, at a small, stray cat, who had been sniffing at her face. Looking around, she saw roads, cars, Victorian homes, a bar. She didn't understand, she had just been in a world without all these things. She moved out of the way of anyone's sight, and looked down. She smiled as her clothes changed from the skirt and long sleeved shirt, to a pair of knee length, navy blue shorts, and a short sleeved, light red shirt. She moved onto the sidewalk, and laughed. She knew where was. She was standing near the lake, only four blocks from Christopher's house! She was back in her world. She began to laugh, and took off running, rubbing her fingers along the back of her head.

Christopher groaned as he rolled off his bed. Sighing, he headed downstairs, and tossed the steak in the garbage, leaning over the sink to wash his face.

"Christopher?" He turned his head, water still dripping down his chin, and saw his mom in the doorway.

"Yeah?"

"Why is the steak in the garbage?" He sighed, and dried off his face, turning off the water.

"I put it on my eye…didn't think you'd wanna eat it." She muttered something under her breath he was probably glad he didn't catch, and pointed to the can.

"Well, take it out, then. We don't need a rotting steak to stink up the house." He nodded, bowing lightly at his mom as she turned away, and tied up the bag. He pulled open the front door, and saw the rain had lightened up. He reached over, and tugged on his windbreaker, then picked up the trash bag again.

"Mom!"

"What?"

"I'm gonna go for a walk!"

"Fine! Be back by eleven!"

"Whatever," he grumbled, and pulled the door shut behind him.

After tossing the bag into the can, he moved onto the sidewalk and jammed his hands into his jeans pockets, gluing his eyes to the ground, walking randomly down the road. He walked for a while, and finally stopped, looking up. He stood over by Afni's father's house. Shaking his head, he turned, and walked away from it.

He walked a few more blocks, and just stopped, right in the middle of the sidewalk, looking at the lawn of the house on his right. A little dog was running around, barking at him.

"Hmph…an electric collar, no doubt," he muttered. He took a few steps, and looked up, glancing across the street. He suddenly stopped, and looked over again. The girl's blonde hair with brown roots hung around her shoulders, and her arms were crossed over her chest. The rain had matted some of her hair to her forehead, but he raised his eyebrows. She stopped walking, looking over at him, and a smile broke across her face. Afni raced across the street, and he grabbed her around the waist, spinning her around, looking up at her. Her hands landed on his shoulders, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, holding him.

"Christopher!" she exclaimed, laughing. He pulled her head off his shoulder, and looked at her.

"Afni?" She nodded, beaming. He threw his head back, and laughed out, then pulled her closer, kissing her. "God…I missed you…" She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him, as she dropped her feet back to the ground.

"I missed you too…I heard you, at the Gateway…"

"Telling you…"

"That you loved me…" He smiled, and nodded.

"And I meant it….what happened? I mean…how did you get here? David said…" She shrugged.

"I don't know how I got here. I…was standing in an open space, I guess right up next to the Gateway, without realizing it. It was raining, but the sun was shining, and the moon was out…The ground was shaking. I got hit in the head by a rock…and fell to the ground. Another one hit me, and knocked me out, and I woke up in the park." He pulled her close, burying his head in her shirt. She giggled.

"God…I am so glad you're here…Does anyone else know?"

"No…I came to find you, what the hell happened to you?" she asked, lifting his head up to see the black eye and split lip. He reached up, touching it.

"Oh…You know my friend Jack?" She paused, and nodded.

"Yeah…"

"He sent his whore of a sister Candy over to try and cheer me up by screwing me…But I called her a bimbo and told her to go away…So Jack came over and beat me up for it. I didn't feel like fighting back. She couldn't have cheered me up anyway…But you did." She blushed, but smiled, and kissed him. He slid his arms around her waist, pulling her right up against him.

"Will you come with me?" she asked, looking up into his eyes.

"Anywhere."

"I want to go see my father. And my sister." She smiled kindly, and he nodded.

"Of course." He turned, and pointed to his back. "Hop on, I'll carry you." She smiled, and jumped onto his back. She buried her face in his shoulder, and he ran the whole way to her father's house.

She hopped down, and looked up at the house.

"Christopher, have you talked to my sister since you got back?"

"Yeah…a few times…why?"

"Did you ask her what she's told my father?"

"Yeah…She told him she _was_ kidnapped, but the guy was too sick to keep her any longer, and just said go home…"

"What about me?"

"You, too, were kidnapped. She's seen you only once since you were taken away, and you were fine, you said you'd try to get home. The guy that took you just didn't know who you were, and you kept lying, so he never found out, but he didn't wanna kill you…But she told him you'd be fine, and that when you came home, you'd have the same thing to say…"

"Great…At least I don't have to think of story to tell him…Come on…" She took his hand, and walked up to the front door, knocking. After a minute, a short woman, with black hair pulled back into a messy bun, opened the door.

"Yes?" she asked, with a Mexican accent. Afni smiled.

"Is…Mr. Waters here? Or Ciniya?"

"Waters?" she asked, slightly confused. Afni paused, trying to think.

"Uh…Me llama Afni. Es Ciniya…eh…casa?" The woman laughed, and motioned inside.

"Si, si…entré…" Afni walked in, still holding Christopher's hand, and closed the door. "Me llama Maria…"

"Hola, Maria."

"Hola…Ciniya!" she called, turning away. She glanced back. "Un minuto…" Afni nodded, and Maria walked off. Ciniya raced down the steps, wearing tight blue jeans and a sleeveless black shirt, and stumbled to a stop at the sight of Afni at the door.

"Oh, God!" she cried, and ran up, jumping into her arms. Afni held her, dropped Christopher's hand, and spun around, laughing. "Your home, your home, your really home!" she cried, laughing.

"I missed you!" she cried, too, and let her hit the ground. Ciniya smiled brightly at her sister.

"When did you get home?"

"About ten minutes ago… I went to find him first," she said, looking at Christopher. "You told dad I was kidnapped, right?"

"Yeah…"

"I'm going to tell him the guy forgot I was even there, and left, so I finally came home…"

"Cool…I made sure he never called the cops…mom, either…"

"Who was that woman?"

"Oh, Dad hired a maid. Maria only understands a little bit of English, so…"

"I managed, don't worry…Who's this?" she asked, pointing to a picture on the wall. It was of Ciniya, and her father, and a woman and a boy she didn't recognize.

"Oh…Dad got remarried…and she had a son before she married. It's Kaitlin and Derek," she said, nodding.

"Alright…"

"Ciniya, who is it?" Afni beamed as her father walked into the hall. "Is it one of your…boy…friends…Afni?" he asked.

"Hi, daddy…"

"Oh, wow, Afni!" She threw her arms around his shoulders, giggling. He picked her up, holding her tightly. "You look great! What happened?"

"The guy who took me forgot I was there…he moved away…without me…so…I came home…" He squeezed her again.

"That's fantastic!" he exclaimed, laughing. "Maria!" Maria ran into the room, nodding.

"Si?" He spoke quickly to her, in Spanish, and she nodded, then ran from the room.

"What was that about?" Ciniya asked.

"I told her she doesn't have to cook dinner. We are going out, for a fantastic feast!" Afni laughed, and then turned, taking Christopher's hand.

"Uh…Can he come with, Daddy?" she asked.

"Of course…Come on, let's get you out of those wet clothes, eh? Ciniya, take her upstairs, get her some of Kaitlin's clothes. I'll go explain it to her now…" He hurried from the room, and Ciniya, Afni, and Christopher ran up the steps. As they walked into the bedroom, Afni turned to Christopher.

"Can you promise me something?" she asked him, slipping her hand into his. "Both of you?"

"Anything," they said, looking at her.

"Don't tell anyone. I wanna surprise everyone at school tomorrow…" Christopher laughed.

"Have your dad call the school, so they can get you your locker and classes set up."

"No problem…Daddy?" she called, leaning over the railing. He looked up.

"Yeah?"

"You need to call the school, and get me in there tomorrow…"

"Anything." He disappeared from sight, and she turned around, smiling. Christopher kissed her, hard, on the lips, drawing her close.

"God, I missed you, so much…it hurt…" she whispered.

"Me too…"


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter III**_

The clock ticked closer and closer to the end of the day. Afni let her hair hang in her face, and she clutched her binder to her chest, as she approached the locker the principal had given her. She opened it, pushed in her book, and closed it. Christopher wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck. She giggled, and turned her head.

"Last class?" he asked, lifting his eyes.

"English, you?"

"Same…Come on…"

"And…what about the others?"

"Same, too…" He paused outside the door, glancing at his watch, and kissed her neck again.

"Christopher…Come on. First day back, I don't wanna be late…" He ran his hands over her arms, and smiled, kissing her cheek.

"Love you…"

"You too…" She walked in beside him, so he could block her face from everyone, and she stopped at the teacher's desk, smiling down at him.

"And you must be our new-old student…" She put a finger her lips, and nodded.

"That's me. I'm thinking I'll need a book, and can I pick a place to sit?" He nodded, pointing to a shelf against the wall. She moved over, taking a book, and walked back with Christopher.

"No one sits there, so go ahead," he said, pointing to the seat in front of him. She smiled, and stepped over the seat, setting her books down, and sitting, turning around to see him. "How're you feeling?"

"Kinda nervous, actually."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah…I mean…I haven't seen you guys since you left…how long has that been?"

"Three months…"

"Yeah. Three months, and I haven't seen any one of you guys…how would you feel?" The bell ran before he could answer, so he quickly kissed her, and sat back. She crossed her legs beneath the desk, and turned, hair hanging in her face. The door finally stopped opening, and closing, and the teacher stood, beaming.

"Alright class. I'm gonna guess now that you probably already know who she is, but I want you to welcome…back, Afni Waters." Everyone turned to see her, but David, Jalil, and Janet (who was going thru school to finish up) jumped up, laughing. When no one else seemed as enthusiastic, they dropped back into the desks, and just beamed, waving. She waved back, kind of blushing.

As the bell rang, David, Jalil, and Janet ran up.

"What are you doing here, I thought you were…" Jalil began. She smiled, stopping him.

"I was. But…I think the universe sort of collapsed into itself…"

"What?"

"There was an earthquake, then it was raining, the sun was shining, and the moon was out, all at once. I got knocked unconscious, and woke up here…"

"It must be great to be home," Janet said. She nodded, hugging her and Jalil. She stopped, seeing David, and a smile broke completely across her face. Afni handed her books to Christopher, and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly.

"I missed you, David…I missed you a lot."

"I missed you, too, Afni…so much…" They hugged, and then she stepped back, touching his cheek.

"How've you guys been doing?"

"Alright. It wasn't the same without you, though…"

"Yo, Afni!" She turned, and saw April walking up, hands crossed over her chest.

"Hi, April." April and Afni just stood there for a minute, staring at each other. Finally, April sighed, and hugged her.

"I'm glad you're alright." Afni, though surprised, hugged her back.

"Really?"

"Yeah…You saved my life…Thank you…" Afni stepped back, and smiled.

"Your welcome, April…"

She crossed her legs, her fingers playing with the seatbelt, watching the trees fly by as Christopher sped down the road.

"Christopher?" she asked, not looking over from her window.

"Yeah?" he asked, reaching down and turning the music down.

"You don't mind driving me out to see Jason, do you?"

"No, course not. I know you've been dieing to see him…"

"Does he know?"

"Nope. I figure, I can go in first, and find him, and talk to him a little bit. You can sneak up behind him, and surprise him…" She smiled, and glanced over at him. She had her hair pulled back off her face in a damp braid, and she wore a pair of rusty looking jeans with a black shirt on top of them that was sort of baggy, with a skull smoking a cigar wearing a bowler, and the words The Infamous on the front, and the words Before the Body is Even Cold on the back. She tugged at it a little, and reached over, resting her hand on his right hand, which was on the gear stick. He smiled over at her, and swung the car into a parking lot, skidding to a halt in a space right in front of the door. She reached down, pulling her seatbelt off, and climbed out of the car. As she closed the door with her hip, she moved her hands behind her head, undoing the braid, and letting it ripple as it fell down around her shoulders.

Christopher walked over, taking her hand.

"You look gorgeous," he said softly. She smiled.

"Thank you…" He kissed her cheek, and led her inside. Afni moved across the lounge, leaning over and looking at the vending machine, her finger to her lips, trying to figure out if she wanted something, and watched Christopher in the reflection on the glass meet up with a guy walking down the hallway.

"Hey, Jason, how you doin' man?" he asked, smiling. Jason shrugged. She saw that his brown hair had been shaved off, but it was starting to grow back in. He wore a baggy red T-shirt, and a baggy pair of black shorts. He had a bag over his shoulder, and he had a chain around his neck.

"Eh, I'm alright…I was actually on my way to the gym, you wanna come with?" he asked, motioning over his shoulder. Shooting a glance at Afni's back, Christopher nodded.

"Yeah, sure, what the hell…" Jason turned, and headed off, and paused, glancing at her back, too, but moved out the door, Christopher motioning to her to follow. She nodded into the glass, and waited a second, then turned to one of the guys on the couch.

"'Scuse me…" she asked. One looked up, and smiled.

"Hey, chick…" She lowered her eyes, taking a breath.

"Sorry, could you tell me where the gym is?"

"Course…About three buildings that way," he said, pointing. "It's got a sign on it, saying Gym. Can't miss it."

"Thank you…And I'm not a chick." She turned, and jogged out the door, her leather boots pounding against the pavement as she ran after Christopher and Jason.

Jason tossed his bag onto a hook inside the door, and headed across the room, to a closet.

"Who was that girl in the lounge, you know?" he asked, shooting a look over his shoulder. Christopher shrugged.

"There was a girl in the lounge?" he asked, playing stupid.

"Yeah…eh…whatever…You play basketball?" he asked, stepping out with the ball in his hands.

"Course." Jason bounced him the ball, closing the closet, and jogged out, standing in front of Christopher, back to the door. Afni walked in the partially open door, and leaned against the wall, watching them.

"Alright, ball…" Christopher handed it to him, smiling. Afni felt a tear in her eye, and then closed her eyes as it fell down her cheek. She sighed, and nodded her head, looking up at them. Christopher nodded his head behind Jason.

"Yo…was that the chick you saw in the lounge?" Jason raised an eyebrow, and turned around. Afni lowered her head, rubbing her eyes.

"Mmmhmm…Don't know if I've seen her before…" Christopher gave a slightly confused look to Afni as Jason glanced down at the ball. She shook her head, and waved her hand, letting him know to just start playing.

They played for about five minutes before she stood up straight, and whistled.

"Very good, boys, very good…" She crossed the gym, pulling her hands from her pockets, and slid them over Christopher's shoulders. Jason looked up at her.

"Who asked?" She flipped her hair over her shoulder, turning to see him.

"Who said anyone had to ask, bro?" His eyes widened, and the ball fell from his hands, rolling across the floor.

"A…Afni?"

"Hi…" He threw his arms around her, spinning her around in a hug. She laughed, hugging him back.

"Holy shit! What the hell? Where…I mean…What…How the hell are you doing?" he asked, setting her down. She giggled.

"I'm fine. Christopher drove me up…" she said, patting his shoulder. Christopher smiled proudly.

"But…where were you? And for so long?"

"You heard about what happened to Ciniya, right?"

"Yep…"

"Okay, well…I got kidnapped too…But…My kidnapper forgot I was there, and he moved, leaving me in a little room in his basement…I just…I got the chance to come home, and I took it without thinking twice. So, I've been home for a week…But I wanted to surprise you."

"And quite the surprise this is," he said, hugging her again.

"How've you been, Jason?" she asked, lifting his head.

"Good…Fine…Missed you a lot…"

"Missed you too…Any boyfriends?" she asked, smiling. He shrugged.

"No…"

"Prospects?"

"One…Works at the club downtown…I think he likes me too…but I'm working on it." She kissed Jason's cheek, and glanced over at Christopher.

"You look fantastic, Jason…"

"So do you…so do you…" She reached down, and rested her fingers on the chain around his neck. He glanced down. "What?"

"I can't believe you still have this," she said, pulling it up to look at him. It was a silver link chain, with a star hanging off the end, with initials at each point. Christopher leaned over.

"What is it?"

"It's a star I gave him for his birthday one year…each point has a pair of initials on it. This one is his, this is Ciniya's…this is Dad's, and mom's. And here's mine, right at the top…" He smiled.

"Yeah…I've been wearing it a lot lately…every day, actually…Thinking about you…" She smiled, and hugged him again.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter IV**_

"Christopher?" she asked. He pushed against the brake, looking up at the stoplight.

"Hm?"

"Can…uh…" She pointed a little ways down the road to a park, and he looked over.

"What?"

"You mind going to the park for a little while? I don't feel like going home…"

"Okay…" he said, unsure, but pulled down the road, and turned into the park. After a minute, he parked, and they got out, starting into the trees on a path already made.

He slid his hand into hers, and she moved closer to him, sliding her arm around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. Afni took a breath, and he put an arm around her shoulder.

"You alright?" he asked, looking down.

"I'm good…I'm great. I'm finally home. I get to see my family, my friends…you…" He smiled, and they stopped near the lake, looking over the surface. Christopher moved around, wrapping his arms around her waist, and pulling her back against his chest.

"You positive?"

"Yes, Christopher," she said, smiling. "I'm fine. I just didn't wanna go home. My stepmom doesn't seem to like me much…"

"Oh…Alright…"

They walked for about an hour, before dropping down on a different side of the lake. Christopher laid back, staring up at the sky, his arms under his head. Afni turned herself around, and looked at him.

"Are you…happy?" she asked. Christopher moved his head a little, dropping it off his arms, and looked at her.

"Yeah…Course…Why wouldn't I be?" She shrugged, and stood, moving closer. She lowered herself onto his thighs, smiling down at him. He pushed his head back onto his arms, and smiled up at her.

"I don't know…You seem odd right now…" He shrugged, and pulled her down, kissing her. She giggled as she pulled away, and touched his cheek. "You are so sweet, Christopher…It's kinda hard to believe that just…a year ago, I thought you were really nothing more than a booty-chasing, beer drinking, racist idiot…who thought every girl wanted you, and usually thought that most guys were worthless if they weren't like you…" she said slowly, trying to remember the conversation she'd had with her brother a long time ago. Christopher propped himself up on his elbows, looking at her closely.

"You're kidding…" Realizing what she'd told him, she blushed, and looked down at her hands, shaking her head.

"No…I'm not…I just, I guess…Well…" She sighed, and tried to think. "I mean…You made me feel so…stupid, I guess, when my sister disappeared…Do you remember? I went to Starbucks to see David, and you came in, and interrupted our conversation…You thought he'd done something to me…and you thought that if he'd pissed me off, you could fix it, but when we told you to back off, you wouldn't. And I had to hit you in the face…Do you remember it?" He nodded.

"But…I was nothing more than a booty-chasing, beer drinking, racist idiot to you?" he asked. She lifted her eyes. His eyebrows were knitted together, and he had a look of hurt mixed with disbelief on his face.

"Christopher, I'm sorry. But that is what you were to me. I didn't know anything more about you than that…'cept what Jason told me. Which, actually, backed up my statement…" Christopher pushed her off him, and sat up, Indian style. She sighed. "Christopher, don't be mad…It was a year ago!"

"But…The thought that you had thought it…" He started to stand, but she grabbed his hands, pulling him down, and moving into his lap.

"Don't be mad at me Christopher. Please. It's been a year. I've apologized, and I've learned my lesson. I've suffered for it since then…I just…" He looked up at her, and slid his arms around her waist.

"I guess yer right…" She smiled, and pushed her forehead against his.

"You ain't mad?"

"Nah…Just…Surprised."

"Thank you…" He titled his head, moving his lips over hers, and smiled, pulling her as close to him as he could. She slid her arms around his shoulders, and looked at him as she pulled away.

"You wanna stay longer?" Afni tilted her head back, looking up at the sky. As she watched the dark clouds move in overhead, Christopher bent his head, kissing her neck. She smiled, giggling, and stood.

"Nope…It's gonna rain…" He stood, too, and the two of them ran back to his car. She just tugged the door closed behind her as the rain began to pour. Afni smiled, and looked over as Christopher dropped into his seat, his hair already matted to his forehead from the rain. He paused, hands on the wheel, and shook his head, throwing the water over the windshield, his hands, and Afni. She squealed, holding her hands up to block the water, and looked over at him.

"You ready?" he asked, looking at her with a goofy grin on his face.

"Yes, Christopher. Let's just get going." She buckled her seatbelt, shaking her head, and watching Christopher peel out onto the road again, heading back home.

She dug her hands in her pockets, looking for the key to the front door.

"Damn…" she muttered, pushing her back against the seat and lifting her butt off the cushion to dig in her back pockets.

"What?"

"I can't find my key…Must've forgotten to grab it."

"I'll wait here. Go knock on the door, see if anyone's home." Afni leaned over, kissing his cheek, and climbed out, running thru the rain, around the car, and to the front door. She tried the knob first, which proved the door _was_ locked, and began to knock. No answer. She waited, and knocked more.

"Hello? Hello! Someone, answer the door!" No one came to the door, and she kicked it, jogging back to the car.

"Well, come on. You can stay with me till someone gets home." She smiled, closing the door.

"Thanks, Christopher."

She leaned back against his headboard, and stared blankly at the wall. After a minute, she lifted her eyes, and watched Christopher walk in with the phone.

"Any answer?" she asked. He shook his head, tossing it onto the chair in the corner. "You have a very interesting room, Christopher," she smiled, looking around. Clothes were scattered all over the place, mixed with papers and pens and books. She shook her head, and pulled her feet up near her, sitting Indian style, so he could drop down beside her.

"You doin' okay?"

"Yep…"

"You don't mind stayin' here, do you?" She shook her head again.

"Of course not. It's nice to know I have somewhere to stay when my family isn't home and I forget my key." He smiled, and leaned over, kissing her. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she kissed him back, moving a little so she was in his lap. After a minute, they heard the sound of a car door slam, and then the front door, followed by his mother's voice calling, "Christopher? You home?" He pulled back, slightly surprised, and opened his door.

"Yes, mom! Why?"

"I need you to do me a favor!" Groaning, he walked out of the room, motioning for Afni to follow him. She stood, walking out the door, too, and headed down the steps behind him.

"What?"

"Would you mind staying in tonight? I'm leaving money for a pizza, but your brother is going out, and I have plans, so I need you to watch the house…Oh…Hello…" She'd been rummaging thru her purse, and when she turned, she saw Afni standing in the door way behind Christopher.

"Hi…"

"Oh, Mom, this is Afni. She got locked out of her house, and no one was home, so I told her she could just hang out here until someone got home."

"Oh, hello, dear."

"Hi, Mrs. Hitchcock."

"Ms."

"Sorry…"

"It's alright, honey. Well, you two have fun, it was nice to meet you, I have to get going. See you later!" She went running back out the door, and Afni turned, watching Christopher's mom pull out of the driveway, peeling off down the road. She turned back to Christopher, and smiled, seeing him standing at the table.

"How much did she leave?" she asked, sliding her arms around his waist, and peeking over his shoulder.

"Well…Apparently, she thinks five bucks is enough for a pizza…" Afni giggled, and pulled back, reaching into her wallet. She removed a fifty, and held it out.

"How's this?" she asked.

"Where'd you get this?" he asked, looking up at her.

"My dad gave me money…Told him I was going out, so he just handed me a few bills from his wallet…"

"What kind?" She opened her wallet again, and smiled.

"There's another fifty, a twenty, a ten, and a hundred in here…" Christopher lifted her chin, kissing her hard on the lips.

"God I love you…and your father, for giving you this money." She laughed, and handed him the phone.

"Just order the pizza…"

Two empty boxes sat on the table, with one half empty box on top of it. Christopher sat on the couch, rubbing his stomach, and flipping thru the channels on the TV. Afni wiped the water off her face with a towel, and, after tossing the towel over the curtain rod, she clicked off the bathroom light, walking out to the living room. She snuggled up next to Christopher, slipping her arms around his waist.

"How're you feelin?" she asked.

"Full…Really, really full…" She giggled, and looked up at him, kissing his cheek.

"Damn well better be feelin' full…I didn't let you buy three pizzas fer nothin'," she joked, smiling. He laughed, and put an arm around her shoulder, finally clicking the TV off.

"Nothin' on," he complained, looking down at her. Afni glanced at the clock, and groaned.

"I should call home, see if anyone's there yet…" She pushed herself off the couch, and crossed the room, picking up the phone. After dialing, she put it to her ear, jamming her hand into her pocket, with her back to Christopher. She tapped her foot for a second, before it picked up.

"Hello?" a female voice asked.

"Uh…Hello…Is this Kaitlin?"

"Yes…Who is this?" she asked, slightly annoyed. Afni took a breath.

"Uh…Sorry, it's Afni."

"Afni, where the hell have you been? Your father has been worried sick about you!"

"Well, I'm very, very sorry, Kaitlin…I left my key there, and when I got there, the door was locked, and no one was home…I've tried calling every little while, but this is the first time anyone's answered…"

"You get your butt home right now, young lady," Kaitlin said, anger very obvious in her voice. Afni flinched, and raised her hand to the back of her head.

"Kaitlin, I'm not coming home right now…I'm trying to finish digesting dinner, and I'm spending some time with my boyfriend…" Christopher beamed behind her, but his smile fell as he watched her.

"You mean the boyfriend who, if I remember correctly, is nothing more than a 'booty-chasing, beer drinking, racist idiot' to you?" she questioned. Afni froze, her eyes wide.

"Who told you that?"

"Your brother was telling your sister, and I just happened…"

"You were eavesdropping, weren't you? You are such a hypocrite!"

"Excuse me?"

"No, I don't think I will! You have gone on for hours about how _wrong_ eavesdropping is, and yet you go and do it on _my_ family? You are nothing more than a hypocritical, evil, overpowering bitch, do you know that?"

"Now listen here, young lady, it is my family too. It has been since the day I married your father…"

"No, now you listen here, _old_ lady, it has been my family since the day I was born. You think you can just marry my father and suddenly be one of us? Well you can't! You will never be one of us! No matter how hard you try to make us think you're nice, or sweet, or caring, you will always manage to slip up, and it will lose your place in our family. Okay? My siblings know about this, my siblings don't like you either. In fact, I believe my father is the only one who likes you, because he thinks you're different. But we know the truth. And if you ever, _ever_ eavesdrop on my family's conversations again, I will personally see to it that you don't do it again, do you understand me?" she exclaimed. Christopher stood up, walking up behind her.

"Don't you ever talk to me like that, young lady…"

"Shut up, I don't care anymore. Go ahead, tell my daddy on me, but I will warn you: Ciniya and Jason will always be on my side for problems like this, no matter what you try and do…We are a family that was raised to stick together when we know what's real. My father has never gone against us when it was three against one. Never. So don't think he'll change now…" She clicked off the phone, and dropped it onto chair she stood by. Christopher slid his arms around her waist, and she jumped, spinning around.

"Easy, Afni, easy, it's just me…"

"God, I forgot where I was…"

"What was that all about?" Afni sighed, and lowered her head, rubbing her eyes.

"My stepmother tried to get me to come home by using the statement I'd made about you a year ago…And she only got that by eavesdropping on Jason and Ciniya and…god, I hate her so much…" Christopher pulled her into his arms, holding her. She wrapped her arms around him, burying her head in his shoulder, and sighed. "I swear, my stepmother is pure evil…" Christopher lifted her head, and pushed his lips against hers.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter V**_

Afni pulled the curtain closed as she climbed out of the shower. She sighed, pulling her underwear off the floor and tugging it on. After a second, she tugged her jeans up over her hips, and her shirt over her head. She lifted the towel off the curtain rod, and bent over, rubbing it furiously over her head to dry her hair without using the dryer. She finally stood up again, putting the towel back, and walked out of the bathroom, knocking on Christopher's door and stepping inside.

"You feel better?" he asked over his music, looking up from his magazine.

"Yes, I do. I don't feel as guilty about yelling at her as before…" He smiled, and turned the page in his magazine, reaching over and turning his music down more. She crossed the room, closing his door, and sat beside him. "What're you lookin' at?"

"Some music catalog I found in the mail…" She looked at it upside down, and he lifted his eyes, watching her. After a second, he tossed the magazine to the floor, lifting her chin. "You don't have any reason to feel guilty. It's her fault for being…whatever it was that you called her on the phone…" She nodded, and looked back down at her hands. Christopher slid his hands over the bed, taking hers, and squeezed them. "You don't have any reason to feel guilty…" he repeated. "Believe me…She deserved it." Afni smiled, and slid a little closer to him, lifting her head to look at him.

"I know…it's just something I can't help…" He leaned over, kissing her, hard, on the lips. She slid her arms around his shoulders, and he tugged her over into his lap. She smiled into it, and he smiled back, his fingers tugging against the bottom of her shirt. Afni pulled him backwards, letting her back hit the bed, and felt herself laughing inside. Christopher roughly parted her lips with his tongue, and she moaned slightly, sliding her hands over his back. She felt his hands sliding onto her sides, and upwards, under her shirt. She smiled again, tugging him a little closer to her. His body was pressed against hers, and he kissed her harder, making her moan a little. They heard the faint sound of a slamming car door over the music, but ignored it, and kept making out on his bed. Afni heard the door downstairs close, then feet on the steps, and a knock on the door. As the handle turned, she pushed Christopher off, running her hands over her hair to flatten it out. It opened, and he looked up, seeing his mom in the doorway.

"Hey, mom…Thought you went out…"

"I did…But I realized I didn't have my cel phone, and you had it last, so…"

"Oh…right…" He turned around, moving some papers off his nightstand, and picked up the cel phone. His mom crossed the room, taking it.

"Thank you. Have fun!" she called, as she ran out of the room, pulling the door closed behind her. They sat in near silence, except for his radio, and waited to hear the car pull out of the driveway. After a minute, he looked back up at her, and smiled.

"I hate it when she does that…" Afni raised an eyebrow.

"How often does she walk into your room when you're making out with a girl?" she asked. He shook his head.

"Not what I meant. I meant, I hate it when she walks into my room without making sure I'm decent, or something. She just knocks and walks in, no pause or anything…I hate that…" He reached his hand up, touching her cheek. "God…You are so amazing, Afni…"

"Why?"

"Because no one makes me act the way you do…You make me…act so nice, and so kind, and so powerful…and so…everything I have _never_ been before…And you know what?" She took a deep breath, but lifted her eyes to his.

"What?"

"I love you for it…" She smiled, feeling her cheeks redden a little, but placed her hands firmly on the mattress, leaning over and pushing her lips against his. After a second, she pulled away, and stood up. "Where are you goin'?"

"Downstairs…Kinda thirsty…" He stood up, and followed her down the stairs, into the kitchen. As she pulled a glass from the cupboard, the doorbell rang. Groaning, he kissed her cheek, and jogged to the door.

"Hello?" Afni drowned out the conversation as she downed some water, but as she set the glass in the sink, and turned towards the door, she heard a raised voice.

"Damnit, Christopher, let me in! My daughter is coming home with me _right now_, do you understand me?" her father exclaimed.

"Sir, listen, she isn't…"

"Get out of my way…" She heard a thud, and Christopher groaned, as her father started down the hall. Afni stepped into the doorway, and found the door closed, and Christopher was on the floor next to it, rubbing his head. She rushed down the hall, kneeling beside him.

"Christopher, what happened? Are you alright?" He shook his head, looking up at her. She cried out as her father grabbed her shoulders, standing her up.

"Young lady!"

"Daddy!"

"What do you think you were doing, yelling at Kaitlin like that? All she's done since she's entered this family is be your friend, and you yelled at her? Called her a bunch of names, including a hypocrite? Who do you think you are, yelling at an adult like that? I _know_ I did not raise my daughter to act like that!" She stepped back.

"Daddy, listen! She goes on for hours about how eavesdropping is wrong, but she did it to Jason and Ciniya! She hates me, she always has, because I've been the main…focus of your attention, of your worry. From the time I disappeared to the time I came home, you thought of hardly any more than me, and you prayed everyday that I would come home…And she hated me for it. She will never like me, because you love me so much. And if you hate the way I acted towards her, maybe you should catch her someday, when she doesn't know your there, and see how she acts towards me. The only daughter you have that had to honestly deal with the shit you and mom put me thru towards the end of your marriage. The only daughter who had to deal with losing her sister to kidnappers, and her brother to college, and had to grow up, and go to school, and do homework and chores, all on her own, without any help from her parents because they were too busy _fighting!_ If you only want me to come home so that you can yell at me, and lecture me, for what I did, and what I said, to your precious wife, you can forget it! I'm not leaving Christopher now, do you understand that?" Her father reached down, shoving Christopher away from the door, and, grabbing her wrist as tightly as possible, he yanked her out the door, and down the front walk.

"Yes, I understand, and too bad, because your coming home anyway!"

"No! Dad! Let me go! Christopher, get up!" she cried, tugging on her arm, looking over her shoulder to try and see him. He scrambled to his feet, ignoring the pain in his head, and ran out the door, ramming into their arms, making her father let her go. She stumbled back, but took his hand, and stepped away. "Daddy…I don't like fighting with you. But you have to understand that I will not go home if all you want to do is yell at me for what happened on the phone between me and your wife. I'm staying here, and that's all there is to it…" Her father watched her, defeated, as she helped Christopher back into the house.

She sat him on the couch, and ran her finger over his forehead.

"Does it still hurt?"

"Yeah…kinda…" Afni stood up, and sat beside him on the couch, pushing her lips against his forehead. "Why did you fight your dad?"

"I didn't want to go home…All that would happen is him yelling at me…And I heard enough yelling before I ended up in Everworld…All I want…now…is for the yelling to stop…" she said, her voice soft. Christopher looked at her for a moment, before gathering her into his arms.

"Afni…it's okay…it'll be fine…" She took a deep breath, sliding her arms around his shoulders, and nodded.

"I know…but now…he's so upset…I don't know what's going to happen. I don't want to live with my mom, she's done the same thing to me…and I can't stay in the same house at Kaitlin, I'll shoot myself…"

"As far as I'm concerned, you can stay as long as you like…" She smiled.

"Thank you, Christopher, thank you…" she said. She squeezed him for a second, and lifted her head, kissing him quickly.


End file.
